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Show PANAMA CANAL TOLL CUT ASKED WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 tW President Roosevelt ssked congress today to reduc shipping tolls for us of th Panama canal. In transmitting a report from a committee which Investigated th subject h suggeeted amendment of existing law so aa to give him final authority In determining th tolls. He proposed : "1. That toll for th us of th Panama canal shall be based upon vessel tonnage determined by the Panama canal rule of meaeure-ment meaeure-ment as prescribed by th president . -J. That th toils upon commercial commer-cial vessels, army and navy transports, trans-ports, colliers, supply and hospital ships shall not exceed on dollar ill) per Panama caaal net ton and shall aot be leas than seventy-five cents (30.76) per Panama canal net ton, when such vssl are laden. "3. That a rat of toll lower than Is levied en laden vessels may be preeortbed for vessels In ballast without passngr or cargo." Under the present system, transit tolls through the canal are based at te option of the vessels' owners on on of two standards. . The first is provided In rule of th United Bute steamboat service calling for maximum tolls ef 3L3S per net registered ton ef the vessel. This rat I generally applicable to all such waterway la th United States. The second basis Is that contained specifically for th Panama canal in th Panama canal act which prescribe that tolls shall be charged at th rat of 31.30 per ton on th basis of a vessels earning capacity, which mean net cargo capacity. |